Ebony Escapes! into November

The work of several world's finest contemporary artists will be on display during "Art Speaks: 50 Years Forward" in Birmingham, Ala.
Lysa Allman-Baldwin photos

“Distance and Desire: Encounters with the African Archive” (New York, NY): Unfolding in three thematic sections, “Distance and Desire: Encounters with the African Archive” is the third exhibition at the Walther Collection devoted to African photography and video art. Significant in its range and scope, the exhibit “brings together late 19th and early 20th century portraits, cartes de visite, postcards, album pages and books from Southern and Eastern Africa, set in dialogue with recent photography and video by contemporary artists who have engaged with photographic archives [offering] … new perspectives on the legacy of anthropological and ethnographic visions of Africans, reimagining the poetic and political dimension of the archive, its diverse histories and its changing meanings.” 212-352-0683, www.walthercollection.com

Current events

UniverSoul Circus (various cities):Delighting audiences all across the country, the UniverSoul Circus is great family entertainment for audiences of all ages. According to the promoters, “For 2013, UniverSoul features news acts, including a neck-breaking head balancing act from Vietnam, Comedy Cat illusions featuring a live tiger, and a bountiful bevy of female contortionists from Ethiopia. From start to finish, UniverSoul has assembled its most sensational and provocative lineup of performers to date. They include artists from the United States, Trinidad and Tobago, France, Brazil, Colombia, Vietnam, South Africa, Russia, Ethiopia and West Africa.” 800-316-7439, www.universoulcircus.com The remaining dates and cities for this year are: Through Nov. 17 - Philadelphia, Pa. Nov. 20-24 - Charlotte, N.C.

Nov. 23

30th annual Mobile International Festival (Mobile, Ala.): Celebrating its 30th anniversary this year, the Mobile International Festival is a regional favorite. Designed to celebrate the cultures of the globe through music, performance art, cuisine and a great deal more, the festival’s strength is the wide array of cultures it highlights, including folks from Ireland, Africa, Nepal, India, Chile, Egypt, Argentina and Mexico, just to name a few, plus those from numerous states across the country, including, of course, Alabama, North Carolina, Florida, Texas and Tennessee. 251-208-7261, www.mobileinternationalfestival.org

Nov. 29-Dec. 15

21st annual African Diaspora Film Festival (New York City): Billed as one of the most prestigious Afrocentric international film festivals in North America, the annual African Diaspora Film Festival draws folks from all over the country to enjoy a bevy of diverse films highlighting global Afrocentric culture. Attendees will see excellent films from Canada, Senegal, Guyana and the U.S., among others, held at six different venues around the city. 212-864-1760, www.nyadiff.org

Lysa Allman-Baldwin writes for numerous online and print publications, including as the cultural travel writer for www.Examiner.com and as a senior travel writer for SoulOfAmerica.com, an Afrocentric travel website. Lysa can be reached at lallmanbaldwin@kc.rr.com.